April 14 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the beginning of a new life for all believers. It's also the pledge of our resurrection (1 Cor. 15). The study of Colossians is part of this month's meditations on the meaning of the resurrection.

Bible Reading:

Colossians 1: 15–17

Bible Text:

[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15, NRSV).

Devotional:

The true God is invisible. Other nations had idols and images to which they bowed down. "This is our God," they said. But Israel's God was invisible. No one could view his glory.

God became visible in Jesus. He is "the image of the invisible God." God's nature and being have been perfectly unveiled in him. God has met our longing to see him through Jesus; in the Bible we have an eyewitness account.

Jesus is God's beloved Son who redeemed us from the power of darkness. But his significance far exceeds that of personal Redeemer. He is also the "firstborn of all creation."

Because of this title firstborn of creation, Arius, around the year 325, and Charles T. Russell (1852-1916), founder of the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses, taught that Christ was not God. Jesus was God's first created being, the Arians and the

Jehovah's Witnesses say.

But that's not what Paul says. By "firstborn of creation" Paul means that Christ is King of the cosmos. He didn't say Christ is part of creation but that he is the Creator: "All things were created by him and for him" (v. 16). That can be said only of God and the eternal Son, who was always with God.

This divine person, Christ, entered creation when it was falling apart. He not only saved our lives; he also restored all of creation.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.